Full Bellies and Hearts

Is there anything better than enjoying delicious food and wonderful company at the same time? I don't think so. That's why Thanksgiving is the greatest ever. Add Christmas decorations and music to the setting, (which I unashamedly did this year and have zero regrets) and it's some of the best times ever spent.

We started off the holiday in Illinois with my side of the family. We gathered at my older brother's house for a feast on Thanksgiving day, just like last year. Jennie, is an incredible cook (she even made an apple pie completely from scratch!) and supervisor in the kitchen, so the dinner was unsurprisingly amazing. We had such a great time sitting around the table and reminiscing about old times and poking fun at each other. (YAMS!) It's not very often at all that all of us kids get together, but we quickly made up for lost time, while Dad pretended not to hear some of our confessions stories from childhood. Loved it.

After such a huge meal, everybody vegged out. We all lounged around the house, watched football and possibly even dozed off here and there. Totally works for me.

Making our lazy snuggling even better was the fresh blanket of snow falling outside! It was so cozy! (It was getting dark out, so the picture is hard to see, but when I used the flash you could only see the nearest snowflakes very brightly.)

And, just because I can't get enough of him, look at my adorable nephew in his old man pj's! I love him and those bright blue eyes of his! (Rachel was running around too much to snap a picture of. Sad day. Guess that's what happens when you're three. Busy, busy, busy.)

I declined the offer to join Jennie for some Black Friday shopping (she's loony), and Brad and I headed back to Nashville to prepare for our second Thanksgiving of 2010. Mehaffey Thanksgiving is always conveniently celebrated the Saturday following the holiday, and we were hosting the family for the second year in a row. I couldn't wait to utilize our new spacious house and see what our kitchen was really made of!

Of course, the girls slaved away in the kitchen all morning while the boys played video games. What's new? Brad finally adventured out from the man cave when it was time to carve the turkey.

I believe the kitchen worked just fine, as the meal was wonderful, if I do say so myself. We had so much food that we had to pull out our TV trays and set them around us as "overflow tables" (a technique I learned from my mom) to hold some dishes. (PS. Don't judge us for the table being elongated by a card table. We're still young.)

Even though the dinner was interrupted by some Thanksgiving visitors, it was a pleasant meal around the table(s) with people we love dearly. Doesn't get much better.

Well, maybe a little... That evening, we took a hiatus from our very important Christmas puzzle assembly to play a board game that my brother, Richard, had given me just days before. Quelf is the most random game we have ever played; possibly in the world. The whole family made fools of ourselves as we acted out ridiculous scenes (ice skating around the room with no top lip), had drawing contests with our opposite hands (of a rhino arm wrestling an elephant), recited silly sayings as events occurred ("serves your right, Captain Poopy Pants"), tried to get people to participate in strange scenarios (evacuating the room because of a manure filled tornado or standing to salute you as you "toot" the national anthem through your nose), and barked viciously at any of the four dogs when they came close to the game board (they were so confused and joined in with the barking). Honestly, as crazy as all that sounds, it was even worse in person. Much worse, actually. You should have seen us. I haven't laughed (until I cried) that hard in ages.

Even though it was a four-day weekend, it was so jam packed full of food, family, and fun blessings that it simply flew by. I'm so grateful that we both have such awesome families to spend the holidays with. God sure does spoil me rotton. Thanksgiving is such a fitting name, since there is so much to give thanks for.